Rope coiler and wrapper



Dec., 23, 1941. H E G, CRAlG 2,267,016

ROPE COILER ANDIWRAPPER Filed March 4, 1941 ver. Y

Vagainst a face of the support 3.

Patented Dec. 23, 194i UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE ROPE COILER ANDWRAPPER Harrison E. G. Craig, Shullsburg, Wis. Application March 4,1941, Serial No. 381,733

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for coiling and wrapping rope and itis a particular object of the invention to provide a device of this kindespecially adapted for use in the coiling and wrapping of a life or handline such as is used by fire departments, telephone or telegraphcompanies, etc.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device of this kindwhich is portable and which can be quickly mounted in working positionwhen desired.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved devicewhereby certain important advantages are attained, as will behereinafter more fully set forth. In order that my invention may be thebetter understood, I will now proceed to describe the same withreference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing adevice constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention inposition for coiling a rope;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the device as illustrated inFigure 1 but in a position for wrapping a portion of the rope around thecoils;

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line3-3 of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional View taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure l,

As disclosed in the accompanying drawing, my improved device comprises atubular member or sleeve I, of desired dimensions, and which as hereindisclosed has formed therewith a U- shaped bracket 2 to be engaged overthe marginal portion of a suitable support 3 and securely held theretoby a clamping screw 4 threading through one of the arms of the bracket 2and bearing I do not, however, wish to be understood as limiting myselfto any particular means for securing the member or sleeve I to asupport, other than that such securing means is of a releasable type.

Rotatably extending through the member or sleeve is a stub shaft 5. Thisshaft 5 is of a length greater than the length of the member or sleeveand to the extended end portion of the shaft 5 is keyed, as at 6, aholding or thrust collar I co-acting with one end of the member orsleeve I. Keyed, as at 8, to the op-posite extended portion of the shaft5 is a surrounding collar 9 which has contact with the adjacent end ofthe member or sleeve I. provide means for eectively maintaining theshaft 5 in working position with respect to the member or sleeve I.

The collar 9 is formed with and extends laterally from the centralportion of a tubular head The collars 1 and 9` I8, into the opposite endportions of which thread or otherwise engage the inner extremities ofthe longitudinally aligned elongated sleeves II.

Snugly and rotatably extending through these sleeves are the elongatedshafts I2', each provided at its outer end with a laterally disposedextension arm I4 preferably at right angles thereto- The outer extremityof one of the extension arms Iii carries a bearing sleeve I5 disposed ina direction parallel with the adjacent sleeve II. Rotatably disposedfrom within through the bearing sleeve I5 is a stub shaft I6. This shaftI6 extends beyond the opposite ends of the bearing sleeve I5 and to theouter extended portion of the shaft I6 is keyed, as at I1, or otherwisesecured, a winding crank I8 or its equivalent. The inner extendedportion of the shaft I6 is continued by a laterally disposed arcuate armI9 and the outer or free end of this arm I9 is continued by an elongatedstraight arm 20 at right angles to the shaft I6'. The arm I9 is soformed and the arm 20 is of such length, in the present embodiment ofthe invention, to have the shaft I6 midway of the ends of the a-rm 20and the adjacent arm I4 is of such length as to readily allow for thedesired rotation of the shaft I6 without the arm I9 or the arm 20 cominginto contact with the adjacent sleeve II.

The outer end of the arm I4 carries a bearing sleeve 2| through which isrotatably disposed from within a stub shaft 22. This shaft 22 1s of alength to extend beyond the opposite ends of the sleeve 2| and the outerextended portion of the shaft 22 has suitably keyed thereon, as at 23, aholding collar 24 which co-acts with the adjacent outer end of thebearing sleeve 2|. The inner extended portion of the shaft 22 iscontinued by a laterally and outwardly disposed arcuate arm 25 similarto the arcuate arm I9 hereinbefore referred to and the outer end of thisarm 25 is continued by the elongated straight arm 26 at right angles tothe shaft 22. The arms I 9 and 25, as Well as the arms 2'0 and 26 arepreferably of the same dimensions. Each of the shafts I2 is preferablytubular and each of said shafts I2 adjacent to its outer end is providedtherearound with the annular series of openings 21. As is illustrated inFigure 4, these openings 2l are four in number and equi-distantly spacedaround the shaft I2. selectively engaging within one of these openings21, as determined by the turning of the shaft I2, is a lock pin 28. Thispin 28 freely passes through an opening 29 in the wall of the member IIand is carried by the outer end portion of an elongated flat spring 30,the opposite end portion of which being anchored, as at 3|, to themember This spring 3i! serves to constantly urge the pin 28 inwardlywithin one of the openings 2l so that the arms I4 may be maintained in aposition parallel with each other and in parallelism with the shaft 5,as illustrated in Figure 1, or to maintain the arms I4 in a position ateither side of the shaft 5 but at right angles thereto, as illustratedin Figure 2.

The shaft within the tubular member or sleeve I is provided therethroughwith the intersecting openings 32 at right angles to each other andwhich are to be selectively brought into register with the opposedopenings 33 inthel wall of the member or sleeve I so that uponapplication of the pin 34 the sleeves I I will be effectively locked ina vertical position, as illustrated in Figure 1, or in a horizontalposition, as illustrated in Figure 2.

When a rope or the like is to be coiled the device is preferablymounted, as illustrated in Figure il,` with the sleeves II verticallydisposed and title-armsy and 2 6 arrangedin substantially a horizontaldirection. These arms 20 and 25 are Amaintained in such position by theholding membersfM slidably mounted on the arms I4. Each o f,'theseVmembers M comprises an elongated arcuate member 35 having an outerchanneled face 35,; as illustrated in Figure 3, to receive the adljacent portion of an arm I9 or 25. j rIfhe opposite `end portions of themember 35 are provided with the laterally disposed loop members 3'!which Vfrictionaly engage around the arm I4 whereby vthe member M isreadily maintained in Aholding position, as illustrated by full lines inFigure 1,

or in a released position, as indicated by broken lines at the upperportion of Figure 1.

' With the arms 20 and 26 in the position as illustrated in Figure 1 arope is coiled or looped around the arms 2D and 26 and after the ropehas been suitably coiled or wound, the arms II are adjusted into asubstantially horizontal position, as illustrated in Figure 2, with thearms 20 and 26 free to rotate by moving the holding members M inwardlyinto released position. As`

.the arm I6 is rotated by the crank I8 the coils or wrappings of therope around the arms V20 and 26 will cause the arm 2S to trail aroundwith the arm 20 and thus rotate the rope coils in a manner to wrap anend portion of the rope around u the kcentral portions of the coilwhereby is produced a neat and compact rope package which can kbe easilystored away upon a fire apparatus ror otherwise, as desired, and whichrope is in a condition to be readily handled.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a deviceconstructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adaptedfor use by reason of the convenience and Vfacility with which it may beassembled and operated.

I claim: 1. An apparatus for coiling and wrapping an `elongated flexiblemember comprising a pair of vsubstantially aligned shafts, mountngs forsaid shafts, elongated arms operatively supported by ksaid shafts anddisposed in directions at right angles to said shafts at spaced pointsbetween .the shafts, releasable means for holding the "member connectingthe arms for unitary rota` tion. p Y l 2. An apparatus for coiling andwrapping an lelofnfgated flexible member comprising a pair ofsubstantially aligned shafts, mountings for said shafts, elongater armsoperatively supported by said shafts, and disposed in directions atright angles to said shafts at spaced points between the shafts,releasable means for holding the shafts against rotation to allow theflexible member to be coiled around the arms, means for rotating theshafts when released for wrapping a portion of the flexible memberaround the coils carried by the arms, means fon rotating the mountingsfor the shafts around a common axis and releasable means for holdingsaid mountings against such turning movement.

3., A device of the class described comprising two substantiallyparallel arms, bearing sleeves carried by said arms and in asubstantially right angular relation thereto, shafts rotatably supportedby said bearing sleeves, laterally disposed arms carried by the innerportions of the shafts and extending therefrom in a general directiononetoward the other, elongated arms carried by the free end portions ofthe second named arms and disposed in a direction substantially at rightangles to the shafts, releasable means for holding the shafts againstrotation and means for rotating one of the shafts when released.

4. A device of the vclass described comprising two substantiallyparallel arms, bearing sleeves carried by said arms and in asubstantially right angular relation thereto, shafts rotatably supportedby said bearing sleeves, laterally disposed arms carried by the innerportions of the shafts and extending therefrom in a general directionone toward the other, elongated arms carried by the free end portions ofthe second named arms and disposed in a direction substantially at rightangles to the shafts, releasable means for holding the vshafts againstrotation and means for rotating one of the shafts when released, themeans for holding the shafts against rotation being slidably mounted onthe substantially parallel arms and engageable with the second namedarms.

5. A device of the class described comprising a pairof substantiallyaligned shafts, means for supporting said shafts for rotation, laterallydirected arms carried by said shafts, elongated arms rotatably carriedby the arms of the shafts,

the axis of rotation of said elongated arms being substantially midwaythereof, said arms being adapted to have a flexible member coiledtherearound and means for rotating one of the arms for wrapping aportion of a flexible member around theV coils thereof on the elongatedarms.

6. A portable device for coiling and wrapping rope orthe like comprisinga member, means for engaging said member with a support, oppositelydirected sleeves rotatably supported by said member, Vmeans for holdingsaid sleeves against rotathe sleeves, means for holding the shaftsagainst rotation when the arms are either in a position Vsubstantiallyparallel to the axis about which the .sleeves rotate or when said armsare substantially -atrightangles to said axis, elements rotatablycarried by the arms of the shafts, said elements including arms aboutwhich the rope is to be coiled Aand means for rotating one of theelements for wrapping a portion of the rope around the coils carried bythe last-namedarms.

HARRISON E. G. CRAIG.

